Exothermic composition containing perlite



l i l" 1 i momma COMPOSITION CONTAININ PERLITE 1.1... '13. Walshand Harold F. Bishop, Conneaut, o hiAo,

assignorstoExomet Incorporated, .lonneaut, Ohio, .21

[corporation of Ohio A I a ;No Drawing. Filed June 22, 1962, Ser. No. 204,633 A 2 Claims. (Cl. 149-41) This invention relates to exothermic compositions, and

may be used in-the loose or bulk form but is particularly 7 suitable for molding to produce riser sleeves, cores, hot

has for its object the provision of an improved exothermic composition 'foruse in various metallurgical operations. The improved exothermic composition of the invention minum with the-balance aluminum oxide-and, accordice,

ingly, serves to supply both the aluminum metal and'the refractory aluminum'oxide at a relatively low cost.

-While we may use in the composition potassium ,fiuo-' borate and sodium nitrate as' shown in Examplesfl and 2 below, as in conventional practice in'makingmoldable exothermics, we have foundthat there are marked ad- I tops; wall members for hot tops, pads andthe like. The moldable compositions are preferably provided as dry A intimately mixed granular materials which are mixed with a small amount ofwater and a binder to form'molded Y articles'which may be used as 'molded, or whenbaked shape of the molded article.

in a manner similar to forming baked cores.

'- The common moldable exothermic compositions usually have been so proportioned as to have an insufiicient amount of oxygen compounds such as sodium nitrate,

iron oxide and manganese oxide to completely oxidize 'the and, accordingly, atmospheric oxygen is permitted to be absorbed as is necessary to complete the oxidation ofthe aluminum at a relatively slow rate. Such compositions usually also contain granular refractory material which does not melt to maintain the physical Potassium fluoride and metal fluoborates have been used in the compositions to react with the oxide film which forms on the aluminum and produce a'Aliquid phase which is removed to expose the aluminum for further oxidation.

This invention is based on our discovery that the mineral perlite,;a light weight (about 16 pounds per cubic A 'foot) refractory material melting at about 2100" F., can 5 be used in exothermic compositions which develop temperatures inexcess of 3000" F., and that the'composi- A tions will retain their molded shapes at the end of the 'reaction. Perlite is primarily a siliceous volcanic rock containing from 70 to 80%.of silica but is very bulky and of relatively light weight. The unpredictable behavior of perlite in the exothermic composition appears to be explainable as follows: Although the perlite melts at The voids remaining after the perlite exothermics,-it has always been deemed necessary that the refractory component be of the 'high-temperature melting type such as those containing high percentages of aluminum oxide or magnesium oxide which have melting points in excess of the reaction temperature of the exothermic material. 7

Other minerals of a light-weight bulky nature such as the foliated micaceous' minerals sold under the trade "names Sil-O-Cel'and vermiculite may be used but we prefer pe'rlite. One of the desirable characteristics of lightweight materials such as perlite is that they have a much lower specific heat than the higher-temperature refrac-' tories such as aluminum oxide. As a result, they permit 'higher temperatures to be obtained during the exothermic reaction with the same amount of heat liberation. Also,

their light weight reduces the eifort to handle them, and

the shipping charges are lower. V

' Another feature of the improved exothermic material is the use of aluminum dross, preferably as a course fraction sized to 10 to 60 mesh, to supply the metallic I aluminum. The dross contains from 12 to 40% of alu- Y Percent Aluminum 15-28 Aluminum dross 10- 50 Perlite 5- 3.0 Sodium nitrate 4- 20 Organic binders 5- 15 A Iron oxide 20- 40 A Potassiumfluoborate .52.5 Example II lists a specific composition of the type of Example I: y 1

1 Percent Aluminum grindings 3.2 Aluminum foil (-10 +l00) Q. 20.0 Aluminum dross 18.2. Perlite 11.6 Sodium nitrate 9.4 Goulac 4.8 Shell resin A 3.6 Red iron oxide 27.2 Vinsol 1.0 Potassium fiuoborate 1.0

vantages in using sodium fluoborate because of its greater.

reactivity; We have found that the chemical activity'of 7 sodium fiuoborate is such that' 2%.,s'odiurn fluoborate,

' as in Example IV, can replace 1% of potassium fluoborate and 9.4% sodium nitrate to obtain the same; thermal properties. The advantages of using fluoborate in this manner is-that'the: material becomes more resistantto moisture and produces less smoke upon reaction. '1

A The following examples illustrate moldabl'e'exothermic compositions of the invention: A

Example I listsa range of components of one type of exothermic composition: A e

Example III lists a rangeof components of a type of A exothermic composition utilizing sodium fluoborate:

. Percent Aluminum 15-28 Aluminum dross 10-50 Perlite 5-30 Organic binders Y 5-15 Iron oxide v I 20-40 Sodium fiuoborate 1- 6 e A .Percent Aluminum 15- 40 Barium nitrate 3- 10 Granular refractory s 10-35 Organic acid .11.5 Organic binders 5- 15 Perlite A 5- 30 Potassium fluoborate .5 2.5 Iron oxide 15- 40 Example lV lists 'a specific composition of the type of Example III: c v e Example V lists a range of components of another type of exothermic composition:

Patented A Mays, 1964 3 Example VI lists a'specific lcomposition of the type of Example V:

Percent Aluminum powder (123) 9.2 Aluminum foil-(-40 +100) 18 .3 Barium nitrate 6.2 Calamo 35 202 Citric Acid. V p .3 Goulac or Dexocor 3.5 Shell resin 5.4 Perlite I i e; 13.7 Potassium fluob orate 1.0 Red iron oxide 2 2.2

In the compositions of the above examples: Perlite 40B is an expanded mineral. Goulac is an organic binder consisting of lignosulfonate, of the Robeson Process Co. Vinsol is the substantially gasoline insoluble fraction of a solvent extract of pinewood of the Hercules Powder Company. Calamo is a clay consisting of A1203 355Q% and silica 40-60% with small amounts of other oxides. Calamo 35 is ground to a particle size range equivalent to the specifications of the American Foundrymens Society for classifying sands. i I Y Compositions as illustrated in the examples may be molded into articles of the desired shapes in-any desired manner, for example, according to the methods used in formingv sand cores andwsand molds. The shell resin is a dry powdered phenol-formaldehyde thermosetting resin which makes itvpossible to form rigid molded articles by the shell. mold technique.

When. the. molded article, for example'a sleeve or core,

is inserted into a mold and heated by the metal to approximately 2000 F. it will ignite and glow slowly for an appreciable length of time, producing within itself a temperature of over 3200 F. Because of the high percentage of non-fusible refractory and the amount of heat released the composition does not melt but retains substantially its original shape.

We claim:

1. The improved moldable exothermic composition comprising particulate aluminum to 40%,ir0n oxide to 40%, 3 to 20% of a nitrate of the group consisting of sodium nitrate and barium nitrate, said iron oxide and nitrate being in an amount insuflicient to completely oxidize the aluminum, from 5 to by weight of a light-weight bulky mineral of the group. consisting of folia'ted micaceous mineral and perlite which melts at a temperature below'the temperature'resulting from the exothermic reaction of the composition, an organic binder, and 10 to of'a refractory oxide which does not melt at the temperature resulting from the exothermic References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Pletsch July 9,1957 Streng May 27, 1958 

1. THE IMPROVED MOLDABLE EXOTHERMIC COMPOSITION COMPRISING PARTICULATE ALUMINUM 15 TO 40%, IRON OXIDE 20 TO 40%, 3 TO 20% OF A NITRATE OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM NITRATE AND BARIUM NITRATE, SAID RION OXIDE AND NITRATE BEING IN AN AMOUNT INSUFFICIENT TO COMPLETELY OXIDIZE THE ALUMINUM, FROM 2 TO 30% BY WEIGHT OF A LIGHT-WEIGHT BULKY MINERAL OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF FOLIATED MICACEOUS MINERAL AND PERLITE WHICH MELTS AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE TEMPERATURE RESULTING FROM THE EXOTHERMIC REACTION OF THE COMPOSITION, AND ORGANIC BINDER, AND 10 TO 35% OF A REFRACTORY OXIDE WHICH DOES NOT MELT AT THE TMPERATURE RESULTING FROM THE EXOTHERMIC REACTION OF THE COMPOSITION. 